# S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat

> ResidualPlay case file: an overlooked Steam game still earning residual revenue. Estimates carry a ±30-50% error range per title.

- Steam appid: 41700
- Developer: GSC Game World
- Released: 2010 · Genre: Action · List price: $19.99
- Deal grade: A (A = dormant with >=$5k/mo opportunity, D = low signal)
- Est. net residual revenue: $5.8k to $8.8k per month (mid $7.3k)
- Opportunity score: $17.2k/month at x2.35 dormancy multiplier
- Est. lifetime owners: 1.9M · Est. lifetime net revenue: $8.0M
- Review sentiment: 96% positive across 31390 reviews (24864 from Steam purchases)
- Review velocity: 68.0 reviews/month (6-month average)

## Why it's flagged

- Developer silent for 15 months
- Studio active elsewhere (16 titles tracked), so this one may welcome a partner
- Last build shipped 3.2 years ago
- No Steam discount in 1.7 years (deepest tracked: -75%)
- Proven demand elasticity: x3.9 review velocity during past deep sales

## Where a gross dollar goes (monthly, at current velocity)

| Stage | USD/month |
|---|---|
| Gross storefront sales | $13.3k |
| After VAT / sales tax (-13% blended) | $11.5k |
| After refunds (-9.5% median) | $10.4k |
| Net to developer (after Steam 30%) | $7.3k |

## Monthly review counts, oldest to newest (24 months)

273, 221, 260, 566, 568, 323, 160, 165, 146, 214, 87, 62, 72, 56, 86, 142, 82, 65, 62, 73, 58, 94, 58, 63

## Estimated acquisition range

$175.3k to $350.6k (2-4x the trailing net annuity of $87.7k/year). Same error range applies.

## Analyst notes (AI-assisted)

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat is a 2010 first-person post-apocalyptic shooter set in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, completing GSC Game World's original trilogy with refined mechanics and improved stability.

CoP remains a quietly profitable catalog anchor generating $7.3k/mo residual revenue on $8M lifetime net, with a 95.7% positive score and sustained niche engagement despite zero marketing in 19 months. The title is too mature and too technically entrenched to justify revival spend, but represents resilient IP stewardship by GSC and a baseline case study for how pre-2012 single-player shooters can hold value. Relevant to publishers managing dormant back-catalogs or studios licensing Eastern European action franchises.

- Most realistic play: watch
- Risk (tech): Engine (X-Ray) is 15+ years old; player reports of crashes and compatibility issues persist despite 95% satisfaction, suggesting a hard ceiling on new player acquisition without remaster.
- Risk (market): Free standalone mod S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Anomaly cannibalizes sales by offering the same content plus expanded features at zero price; review recommends it as alternative.
- Risk (other): GSC's 15-month developer silence and absence of discounts since month 20 suggest active maintenance has stalled; risk of engine rot if player base attempts multiplayer mods.

What players are asking for:
- Multiplayer or co-op modes (implied by mod interest)
- Campaign length expansion (players cite 10-15h main story as short)
- Modern engine port or optimization for contemporary OS/GPU drivers
- Story-driven DLC or sequel continuation beyond Pripyat

Suggested first moves:
1. Audit GSC's current IP ownership, franchise roadmap, and appetite for licensed adaptations (S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is in development; determine if CoP catalog remains in-house or faces rights fragmentation).
2. Model DLC+cosmetic monetization overhead against $7.3k/mo baseline; dormant titles of this caliber often become test beds for cosmetic shops with <$500/mo lift cost.
3. If GSC remains publisher, explore single-player story expansion (3-5 hours) priced at $9.99 as low-risk nostalgia play; review sentiment shows willingness to re-engage at modest price.

Generated 2026-08-20 from public signals and player reviews. Directional, not diligence.

## Methodology

Units are estimated from Steam-purchase reviews times a release-cohort multiplier (Boxleiter method, 20-75x by year). Revenue uses an effective price (lifetime discounts and regional pricing) and nets out VAT (~13%), refunds (~9.5%) and Steam's 30% cut: roughly 55% of gross reaches the developer.

Source: https://residualplay.com/game/41700
Citation: please cite ResidualPlay (https://residualplay.com) when using these estimates.